Aside from household expenditure on cultural goods and services, there are very few figures available on private-sector capital funding of culture. A report on the situation on sponsorship in Spain shows that, in 2009, donations through the Personal Income Tax (IRPF) for investments and spending on culture represented 2 842 347 EUR, which represented 0.4% of the total amount of donations.[1]
An important and interesting phenomenon in Spain is the Cajas de Ahorro or savings banks, non-profit making financial institutions which have been involved in funding cultural activities for a long time. The significant legal reform of the savings banks in 2010, which has affected all aspects of the activity of these entities, and the severe economic crisis had a dramatic negative impact on social and cultural projects. According to 2017 figures, savings banks allocated 17.67% of the investment, i.e. 141 50 million EUR to cultural initiatives and heritage, 65% less than in 2010, when this amount accounted for 404 47 million EUR.[2]
Agents have been requesting a new legal framework for the private funding of culture in Spain. This was also announced at the beginning of the legislature of the Popular Party that started in November 2011. The reforms were finally introduced by means of changes in the fiscal benefits included in the fiscal reform of 2014. At present, proposals for a new system are incorporated in the Culture Plan 2020 of the Secretariat for Culture, which are expected to be implemented in the period 2017-2020.
In recent years, some private and social platforms and initiatives of collective funding for cultural projects, such as La Tahona Cultural or Verkami, have emerged. Hispania Nostra, a private association aimed at heritage protection, has launched Todos a Una (a platform of “crowdfunding” devoted exclusively to projects related to the historic, cultural and natural heritage).
[1] For details see: Noguera Montagut, A. [Coord.] (2013) Informe sobre la situació del mecenatge i el patrocini espanyol. València: Consell Valencià de Cultura. Available at: https://cvc.gva.es/wp-content/uploads/MECENAZGOInforme2012okx.pdf.
[2] For details see: Villarroya, A. (2016) “El valor de la obra cultural y patrimonial de las Cajas de Ahorro”, Periférica Internacional. Revista para el análisis de la cultura y el territorio, n. 17, p. 83-91. Available at: http://revistas.uca.es/index.php/periferica/issue/view/246/showToc.
Comments are closed.